There will have been some knowing nods and nudges from stalwart Manchester United supporters stood at the Stretford End on Thursday night.

From nowhere boyhood fan Marcus Rashford announced himself to Old Trafford, making a beeline for the adoring hundreds in one corner of the famous old ground to share his joy. They could have been watching the emergence of a new star.

His rise has been swift. Rashford has been plying his trade in the Under 18 and 21 teams this season and has caught the eye of those at United long before his two Europa League goals against Midtjylland this week.

Marcus Rashford made a name for himself on his senior debut by scoring a brace against Midtjylland

Rashford celebrates scoring for Manchester United on his debut on Thursday night at Old Trafford

Manchester United's team celebrate one of Rashford's goals against Midtjylland on Thursday night

It was the sort of debut the 18-year-old had dreamed of growing up in Wythenshawe with Manchester United memorabilia adorning his bedroom walls.

He is no Ravel Morrison, the midfielder with serious talent who threw it away in a haze of misapplication although the comparisons are obvious.

Morrison, now at Lazio, also formed part of the famed Fletcher Moss team - where Rashford began peaking interest - in years gone by. It was there where the careers of Wes Brown, Danny Welbeck, Cameron Stewart, Kyle Bartley and countless others. Rashford stood out from an early age.

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Despite being the undeniable star of United’s struggling Under 18 team, he is mild mannered, focused on what he wants to achieve for his family south of the city.

One of four brothers, Rashford also has a sister and still lives at home with his mum, Mel. They are humble beginnings and he might have been wearing City blue had Rene Meulensteen not persuaded him to choose the red half of Carrington.

The schoolboy striker was courted by both clubs and trained with each of them until he made his big decision to join United.

According to David Horrocks, his first coach at renowned south Manchester junior club Fletcher Moss Rangers, the deciding factor was United's training programme introduced by youth coach Meulensteen – later to be Sir Alex Ferguson's No2 - based on the famed Coerver methods in which mastery of the ball is paramount.

'Like most talented kids, Marcus wasn't just scouted by one club. He went to the Moss Side development centre at United and City knew he was going well so he also trained at their academy at Platt Lane which was close to his home in Fallowfield,' recalled Horrocks.

'City offered him a chance to play for the club and said they'd build their team around him. United were worried about losing out because City was so convenient geographically. So they called me to see if I could drive him into their training ground at The Cliff on a Sunday morning.'

It didn't take long for young talent Rashford to choose the red of United over the blue of City in Manchester

Manchester junior club Fletcher Moss Rangers are used to seeing talented boys rise to the top

Rashford (centre, third from right) pictured as a six-year-old before going on to become a professional player

It didn't take long for Rashford's thought processes to turn red.

'United had a programme to develop individual skills. The ethos was laid down by Meulensteen and all the coaches followed it. It suited Marcus down to the ground because he was allowed to have the ball and express himself rather than just pass-pass-pass,' added Horrocks.

'Boys can't sign a piece of paper with any club until their ninth birthday. It was around that time Marcus decided he wanted to go to United. In his words as I drove him to The Cliff, he could see himself being a better footballer under their programme.'

Rashford's talent had been obvious even earlier, from the moment he walked into Fletcher Moss aged five to join his older brother Dwain who already played there.

By the age of seven, both United and City were strongly interested. He'd alternate sessions with United at their Moss Side development centre and City at Platt Lane. His past home in Fallowfield was close to City's HQ, his mum having moved there from a troubled estate in another south Manchester area of Withington.

The comparisons with Welbeck are obvious as both spent the first four years of their careers at Fletcher Moss.

Welbeck was sold by United to Arsenal for £18million and is an established England international but Horrocks believes Rashford could go on to become even better.

Rashford made his senior debut wearing the No 39 shirt, the 18-year-old led the line in Martial's absence

Memphis Depay (left) celebrates with new boy Rashford after the teenager scored his first goal of the evening

'Marcus has far more pace than Danny ever had. Danny would wait for the ball to come to him, Marcus is hungry for it. He has the same mentality to training that Eric Cantona and David Beckham had,' he says.

'Personally, I see him as a centre-forward. He has a tremendous pair of shoulders and is built like an athlete. He is so resilient, he can bounce up.

'He got cracked in the face on Thursday night, he wasn't bothered, just bounced right back up. We are proud of what Danny has achieved but I think Marcus will go on and do even better.

'I doubt very much he would have slept last night. He will be on cloud nine.'

Rashford moved to Northenden in south Manchester with his Mum and Horrocks still sees him when he takes the latest batch of talented Fletcher Moss Under 7s to United's new training ground at Carrington.

The Fletcher Moss Facebook page has been inundated by congratulatory messages to Rashford after his two goals against the Danish champions, all the more remarkable because he'd only just broken into the club's under-21s team.

'I was out of my chair when Marcus scored his goals, my wife was the same,' said Horrocks.

Ironically, Manchester City have a young player called Ashley Smith-Brown in their Under 21s team who was Rashford's team-mate for Fletcher Moss Under 7s. Louis van Gaal will be delighted the schoolboy Marcus opted for United.

Rashford uploaded this photograph to Instagram on Friday morning of himself and Joe Riley after their debuts

FIVE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT MARCUS RASHFORD

1. He was born on Halloween, 1997

Rashford was born in Manchester on October 31, 1997, a few months after Van Gaal left Dutch giants Ajax to take up a post with Barcelona.

The day after United scored six against Sheffield Wednesday at home, with strikers Teddy Sheringham, Andy Cole and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer all grabbing braces.

2. He used to play for Fletcher Moss Rangers at youth level

Rashford is one of a number of players who have gone on to play professionally after turning out for local youth club Fletcher Moss Rangers.

The likes of Wes Brown, Danny Welbeck and Ravel Morrison all represented the team in their junior years, while current United team-mates Cameron Borthwick-Jackson and Tyler Blackett were also ex-Fletcher Moss players.

3.He was prolific at under-18 level

Rashford topped the scoring charts for United's Under 18s last year, having found the net on 13 occasions in 25 starts.

However, he only made his maiden appearance for the club's reserves in a Lancashire Senior Cup tie with Rochdale this season, one month before he turned 18.

4.He scored twice on his UEFA Youth League debut

Nicky Butt, recently named the head of United's academy, handed him the captain's armband for the Under 19s' first UEFA Youth League tie of the season in September against PSV.

Rashford responded by scoring a brace in Eindhoven - the first coming from the penalty spot - as United coasted to a 3-0 victory.

5.He has been in senior United squads before

Van Gaal named Rashford among his substitutes in the 2-1 win at Watford on November 21 and in the draw at high-flying Leicester the following weekend.

However, on neither occasion was he brought on to the pitch by the Dutchman.